I'll Come With You
by QueenOfTheYaoi
Summary: A rewrite of Roxas leaving the Organization.  What would have happened if Axel had come with him that day?  Yaoi, Fluff, fighting, lemon flavored goodness.  AxelXRoxas, Soriku, implied Zemyx.
1. Leaving

Roxas walked out of Memory's Skyscraper and down the street, not even noticing Axel until he spoke.

"Your mind's made up?" Roxas stopped in his tracks and turned to him.

"Why did the keyblade choose me? I have to know." Axel narrowed his eyes.

"You can't turn on the Organization! You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you!" Roxas turned back around.

"No one would miss me." Roxas started walking away.

"That's not true! I would…" Roxas paused again for a moment before walking away again. Axel looked down. "…Roxas, wait." Axel ran after the boy. Roxas stopped, but wouldn't turn around. "I'll go with you."

"No. You belong here. With the rest of the Organization members." Axel shook his head.

"No, I don't. If you aren't here, I don't belong here either."

"…Fine. Do what you want. It's no business of mine." The blonde walked away again, this time with Axel at his heels.

A week passed since they left the Organization. All the events played out as they should have. Roxas defeated Xion. Roxas defeated Riku. Axel was there, watching. Whenever he tried to help the boy, he'd gotten yelled at. Roxas insisted that this was HIS fight. His fight, and his alone. And that annoyed Axel to no end. They went to their usual spot at the top at the clock tower.

"How're your injuries?" Roxas looked down at his arm. He had a big gash right in between his shoulder and elbow, which Axel had bandaged after they were safe and hidden. Plus several other cuts and bruses. His body ached everywhere and the cuts stung insanely but for whatever reason he felt he should keep that to himself.

"I'll survive…"

"I'm glad. You should've let me help. I hate seeing you all hurt and messed up like this."

"You HATE it? Hate's a feeling, Axel. You can't hate anything. And if you hate it, you shouldn't have come." Roxas said harshly. 'you shouldn't have come, you shouldn't have come, you shouldn't have come.' His words ran through Axel's head over and over again. They made an odd tightness arise in his chest and throat. He couldn't speak. And the feeling was oddly…familiar. But from where? Roxas turned his head to Axel. "Why did you come, anyway? You could've stayed. You could've saved yourself. But you threw your own well being away to follow me." The blonde locked eyes with the redhead. Axel stared back at the deep blue pools and searched for the answer Roxas wanted, and the answer he wanted more than Roxas. But he couldn't find one. He swallowed hard in an attempt to loosen the knot in his throat.

"I…I honestly…" Axel sighed. "I just don't know. I was trying to look out for you, I guess. I couldn't stand by and let you leave. Who knows what kind of trouble you would've gotten into?" Roxas grunted.

"I thought you hated babysitting me." Inner Axel wanted to assume a fetal position and die. Roxas asking questions he didn't know an answer for, even though he's the only person who would know.

"I do! …or did, at least. But then we got closer…we were best friends. And all those missions we went on, and all the times we went to get ice cream, I stopped caring that it was my job to do it. I was doing it because I wanted to be with you." Roxas looked down,

"Were? Are we not best friends anymore?"

"Do you not want to be my best friend anymore?" Roxas looked back into the aqua green eyes next to him.

"No. And I don't think I ever will want that."

"Then we'll be best friends forever." Axel smiled and stared up at the sky. The sun had set and the moon had taken its' place. "Roxas, have you ever been up here at night?"

"No, never. Just at sunset with you." Axel smiled.

"Look up, then" Roxas did as Axel told him and felt his jaw drop in response. The sky was dotted with hundreds of small white, shining dots.

"Woooow…" The boy was mystified by the new sight.

"Those are stars. On a clear night like tonight, you can see hundreds of them, but there are trillions of them we can't see. Got it memorized?" Axel saw Roxas smile out of the corner of his eye. "And every once in a while you'll see one that flies across-" Speak of the devil. A sparkle of light shot across the sky, leaving a path of light in its wake that was gone in the blink on an eye. Axel smiled. "Quick Roxas, close your eyes and make a wish." Roxas shut his eyes tight. Axel did the same. They both opened their eyes a minute later. "So what did you wish for?" Roxas smiled again.

"To be able to see beautiful stars like this every night." Axel laughed.

"Really? I wished for unlimited sea salt ice cream." Roxas was laughing too.

"Axel, how in the world do you stay skinny?" Axel stood up on the edge and stepped down to the floor.

"I have no idea. It's getting late, maybe we should catch some Z's." Roxas joined Axel on the floor.

"Probably. But where?" Axel raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong with right here?" The redhead sat on the floor, back against the wall, arms resting on his bent knees.

"Nothing, but wouldn't we get cold?" Axel smirked and held out his arms.

"Stay close to me and you wont." The blonde was reluctant, making Axel sigh. "What's up?"

"I dunno…" Axel smirked.

"Don't you trust me?" Roxas nodded. The older got on his knees long enough to unzip his coat and take it off before sitting back down. "Then c'mere." Roxas sat in between Axel's legs and rested his head on the curve of his neck. Axel took the coat and covered the boy with it. Roxas fisted his hand lightly in the chest fabric of Axel's shirt and yawned.

"Thanks, Axel, for not…" He adjusted himself until he was as comfortable as he could get. "…abandoning me…" Axel wrapped his arms around the blonde boy.

"…You're welcome, Roxas…" Roxas dozed off quickly to the cinnamon scent of Axel's breath and the strawberry scent of his red hair. Axel sighed. "I would never abandon you…and I didn't wish for ice cream…the only sweetness I need is your smile…I wished I could see it all the time…" Axel gently ran his gloved fingers through the spikes, resting his hand at the top of Roxas's head. The still sleeping blonde shifted closer, a small grin on his face. Axel smiled and looked up at the stars until sleep finally took him.


	2. Pizza and Ice Cream, Just Like Before

The next morning, the sun shined brightly above Twilight Town. A direct hit to Roxas's face made him groan and squint before opening his eyes slightly. He felt around and wiped his face on the closest piece of fabric. Once his eyes were free of everything that wasn't supposed to be there, he looked at what he'd used. It looked like…the bottom hem of a shirt. He followed the shirt's buttons up to the face of the wearer, who had raised an eyebrow at him, but was smirking anyway.

"Feel better now that you've defiled my shirt with eye boogers?"

"Good morning to you too, Axel. And yes actually, I do." Axel sighed.

"Well, better my shirt than my coat." Roxas looked down at his body, still covered with his friend's coat. He looked up at Axel with concern.

"Weren't you cold?"

'No. Having you close to me gave me all the warmth I'd ever need.' Axel thought. 'wait…what? What the hell am I thinking? I can't say that!' Instead, he mentally argued with himself about what to say next.

"Axel?" Hearing his name snapped him out of the daze.

"Huh?" The redhead looked back at the boy. "Oh, yeah. I was cold a little. But I'm the fire guy. Staying warm isn't as big a deal for me as it is for you." Roxas stood up and dropped the coat on Axel's head. The taller tilted his head, making the coat miss and land neatly on his shoulder. "More importantly, were you warm?" Roxas felt his face heat a bit.

"Yeah, very." Axel smiled.

"Good to hear. You still tired?"

"No, I'm good."

"Great." Axel stood up and slipped the coat back onto his shoulders. "Let's go" Roxas raised an eyebrow.

"Go? Go where? We don't have anywhere to-" Roxas's stomach gurgled. Axel laughed.

"We're going somewhere to stop that from happening. Now come on, or I'll leave you." Axel walked away. Roxas was too preoccupied with the weird noises coming from his stomach to notice him leave. He stood in a daze until he felt someone grab his hood. "Get moving!" Axel yanked the boy back.

"Gyah!" Roxas stumbled backwards and fell into Axel, who caught his shoulders. Roxas looked up at the pyro, who was blushing. "Axel, do you have a fever or something?"

"N-no…" Axel spun the blonde around and pushed him towards the staircase. "Now let's go eat something…"

"Ok." Roxas opened the door and started walking down the stairs, Axel following close behind.

An hour later, they were sitting on metal chairs outside a café. Twilight town may be almost empty, but there were a lot of food joints. Axel looked at Roxas, who was looking down.

"What's up, Roxas?"

"What, besides the sky?" Axel rolled his eyes.

"I taught you that one. And you know that's not what I mean. Why do you seem so bummed out?" Roxas looked up.

"I'm not bummed out. My mind is just on other things."

"Like?"

"Like how I'm still wondering why you decided to follow me. And how I don't know what happens next. Where we go from here." Axel sighed.

"Walking away from the Organization was a spur of the moment thing, wasn't it?" Roxas looked away.

"Not really…I had always questioned why I was there. Who I was before. And whether I should stay or not. I put a lot of thought into it when I decided to walk away." Axel looked down.

"I see…" The tightness in his chest overcame Axel again. He sipped his soda in a futile attempt to loosen the newest knot. A woman came to their table and put down two plates with a big slice of pizza on each and walked away again. Roxas stared at it.

"What's this stuff?" Axel had taken his gloves off and was already biting the tip of his slice.

"Net's nisha." The redhead said with a full mouth. Roxas raised an eyebrow.

"'scuse me?" Axel gulped his food and drank some soda to wash it down.

"It's pizza. Y'know, cheese and crust and saucy goodness?" Roxas poked the cheese.

"…Is it good?"

"Taste it and find out."

"What does it taste like?"

"Taste it and find out."

"Does it taste like-"

"Roxas, If you don't take a bite of that pizza in the next ten seconds, one of two things will happen. It'll get shoved down your throat, or you'll be wearing it.

"And by wearing it you mean-"

"EAT THE DAMN THING!"

"okay, okay!" Roxas grabbed the crust and reluctantly bit off the tip. It tasted like…garlic. And tomatoes. And a few other things he couldn't place. But overall, it was delicious. He smiled and took a bigger bite. Axel laughed.

"How's it taste?"

"Taste it and find out."

"Ha ha, very funny." The woman came back out and handed Axel a clipboard with a piece of paper on it. He read the paper, pulled a small plastic rectangle out of his pocket, and handed it to her. She went back inside and returned the card a few minutes later. Roxas raised a confused eyebrow yet again, which Axel noticed. "It's a debit card. Useful little things in situations involving runaways like us." Roxas nodded and finished his pizza. He stood up and looked down. Splotches of red stained his coat.

"Aw man…" Axel sighed.

"We need to go clothes shopping. These coats wont last forever. And besides, the sooner we get rid of them, the sooner we'll be free of the Organization for good." Roxas smiled. His days of the Organization would soon be behind him forever.

"Can that wait until tomorrow, though? I'm tired now. And look, It's almost sunset." Axel looked at the sky, which was now brilliant shades of yellow and orange. He stood up.

"Yes, yes it is. Fine, we'll go shopping tomorrow. But for today, how about some icing on the cake?" Roxas smiled. That always meant ice cream.

"Last one there buys it!" The blonde dashed towards the ice cream stand, leaving a disoriented Axel behind him.

"Not funny, Roxas! Wait up!" Axel ran after his friend full speed.

They sat on the ledge of the clock tower and munched their sea salt ice cream bars in silence. Axel had won the race there and Roxas had thrown a hissy fit about him only winning because his legs were longer. The tightness was still in Axel's chest. But as to why, he couldn't figure out for his life. That's when Roxas spoke up.

"Hey Axel…Do you regret it? Following me, I mean?" Axel looked over at the boy next to him.

"Why would I?" Roxas looked down.

"I feel like I'm burdening you…" The look on the blonde's face made the knot in his throat throb. He felt pain…even though he wasn't hurt. Pain in his chest.

"You aren't burdening me. Coming with you was my choice. And I don't regret it. I would go anywhere to make sure you were safe. We're best friends." He turned and looked Roxas in the eyes. "I'd do anything for you…" Axel snapped his head back up. _What? Why did I say THAT? Damn, the kid's gonna think I'm crazy!_ He heard the blonde sigh. He looked back at the boy. Roxas was smiling softly. Roxas felt…lighter, hearing Axel saying that.

"Thanks, Axel…I'm lucky to have you." Axel blushed and thanked the sky that it was too dark for Roxas to notice that.

"I'm the lucky one. Since I met you…living has just been better. Well, technically we don't live, but that's beside the point. You gave me something to look forward to, day after day." Roxas smiled softly and genuinely, but his eyes still looked sad. Odd, seeing as he can't feel.

"Do you miss it there?" Axel rubbed the back of his head.

"I'll tell you what I don't miss. Saix barking orders at me." Roxas laughed.

"Nobody would miss that!" Axel laughed with him.

"No, but I bet he'd miss barking the orders."

"Haha, probably." Roxas yawned.

"Bed time already?" Axel stepped down from the ledge and helped Roxas down.

"Can we sleep on the floor this time?"

"Really? Sure, I guess. Take off your coat." Axel unzipped and took his own off. Roxas blushed a bit.

"Why?"

"Hard cement, Roxas. Not comfortable. Put the coat on the floor and lay on it."

"Oh…Okay." The blonde took off the long coat and splayed it out on the floor before sitting on it. "What about you?" The redhead sighed.

"Do I look like an old man to you? …Don't answer that. Point is, one night on the floor won't kill me."

"Will you stay next to me like last time?"

"That depends, do you want me to?"

"Yeah."

"Then I will." Axel laid down next to the boy and covered them both with his coat. Roxas rolled over to face Axel.

"Nothing will ever be the same, will it?"

"…Probably not. But change isn't a bad thing. We're free now. There's so much more we can do now that The Organization doesn't control us."

"Like what?"

"I'll show you. Little by little, I'll show you everything you've been missing. You're right, nothing will be the same for us ever again. But you'll always have me by your side. That'll never change." Roxas offered another small but genuine smile and nuzzled into Axel's chest. The taller wrapped an arm around Roxas's waist protectively and sighed. _As long as you don't want it to change. As long as you still want me. As long as you still need me. It won't change unless you want it to…_ Axel was first to doze off tonight. Roxas heard soft snoring and opened his eyes. He smiled at his friend's sleeping figure.

"You idiot…You shouldn't have come…Now the Organization will be after you, too…" He poked the pyro's cheek. "…I don't want you to get hurt…Let alone because of me…Why? Why won't you tell me why you came? Do you really not know?"

"R-roxas…" The blonde froze. He looked at the redhead. He was still sleeping. "Roxas…" Axel was talking in his sleep. Roxas smirked and ran his hand over the redhead's cheek.

"I'm right here…" The blonde noticed something wet run down Axel's face. Tears? Nobodies can cry? Hmm. News to him.

"Roxas…don't leave…please…don't leave me…" Roxas's eyes widened. Axel must be dreaming about the night he'd left. More tears came. "…Why?" Roxas's expression softened.

"I'll never leave you again…Axel…" The blonde's lips brushed over the pyro's forehead before he twined his fingers through Axel's. He fell asleep to the sound of the redhead's breathing.


	3. New Clothes

Axel woke up the next morning with a yawn. He looked next to him. Roxas wasn't there.

"…Roxas?" Axel looked around. Roxas was standing on the ledge and staring off into space. He stood up and walked to the boy. "Roxy?" The redhead put his hand on the blonde's shoulder. The boy's hands went up and grabbed his own. He spun on his heel and pinned Axel's wrist. The pyro fell to the floor from pain and shock. Roxas got pulled down with him, landing on top, hands now on either side of his head and lower body between his legs. Roxas looked down at his now trapped friend.

"Axel? Morning."

"Oh, good morning. …Wait, that's not what I meant. What the hell was that for?"

"What, the wrist thing? You surprised me." Roxas relaxed knowing it was Axel's hand on his shoulder. His body slumped lower, making their hips brush together. Axel blushed as he finally realized the position they were in.

"Um…w-why were you even up th-there?" He tried to keep his voice calm, but he tripped over a few words regardless. Roxas didn't seem to notice their pose but did notice Axel's face.

"I woke up early. Couldn't go back to sleep. I just sat there thinking until the sun came up."

"Thinking, again?"

"Yes. Just because you don't doesn't mean I don't, too." Axel crossed his arms, the movement making their hips brush again.

"H-hey! I think! Y'know…sometimes, about…stuff." The blonde smiled.

"About _what_?"

"The future, the past, the present.

"Oh please. I bet all you think about is sea-salt ice cream." The pyro smirked, grabbed the boy's wrists, and rolled over so he was on top.

"C'mon, I'm not that shallow." Roxas rolled his eyes.

"Really. Tell me one thing you think about that doesn't concern yourself. Or ice cream." He paused for a minute to think. "…Or fire and your chakrams." Axel looked straight in Roxas's eyes and took on a serious expression.

"…You." Roxas's eyes went wide and Axel stood up, offering a hand. The blonde took the hand and pulled himself up, still in shock. _Axel thinks about me?_ Roxas felt his stomach flip and flutter. Axel, after zipping his coat, looked to the door. "Let's go get you some clothes." The pyro walked down the stairs without another word or a glance in Roxas's direction. The shorter was dazed. He sighed. _He's mad at me…_ His shoulders slumped as he ran to catch up with the older.

Axel and Roxas walked silently down the streets of Twilight Town, looking for a clothing store. They both knew the area well, but didn't know which stores sold what. Eventually, Axel had to stop and ask a young girl where there was a store around here.

"Clothes?" The girl looked at Axel, then at Roxas, and back to Axel. "For which one of you?"

"Preferably both of us at the same place." The girl nodded.

"Okay. There's a store farther down the road that sells boy's and men's clothing." She pointed down the road to a building. "Pretty cute stuff, too. Kind of on the expensive side though." The pyro smiled.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, mister." The brunette walked off. The smile faded and he turned to Roxas.

"You heard her. C'mon." Axel walked towards the store and the blonde followed. The store was bigger than it looked on the outside. And, as the brunette girl had said, filled with men's, junior's, and boy's clothing. Roxas looked around in awe. A tall man with brown hair and parted bangs walked up to them.

"Hey, guys. Need anything?" Axel nodded.

"As a matter of fact, I do. Do you think you could take my friend's measurements?" The redhead pointed at the boy. The brunette nodded.

"Sure, just come to the fitting room. You want yours too, while I'm at it?" Axel shrugged.

"Couldn't hurt, I guess."

"Okay, follow me." The duo followed the man into a big room with doors leading to five smaller rooms. He looked on a shelf and pulled off a folded strap with numbers and lines on it. "Who's first?" Axel pointed to Roxas. Roxas pointed to Axel. The salesman laughed. "Well, the older brother's in charge. You're up, blondie. Stand here." They both rolled their eyes.

"We aren't brothers." They said at the same time. The brunette laughed again.

"You act like it. Now stay still." The salesman, who they now noticed had a nametag that said 'Leon' on it, started walking around Roxas, tape measure in hand. He measured his height, arm span, leg length, and waist. Axel felt the need to look away when Leon measured his legs and waist. Leon patted Roxas's back. "Okay, you're done. Big brother's turn." Roxas glared as he walked to where Axel once stood. Axel rolled his eyes again.

"For the last time, I'm _not_ his big brother. Just his friend." Leon sighed.

"Relax, firehead. Just kidding with you. And it isn't often you see a man in his twenties and a teenager as friends. How'd that happen?"

"I've…known him since he was born." That technically wasn't a lie. Axel had known Roxas since…well, since he became Roxas. Leon spread Axel's arms and lined up the tape.

"So you babysat him?" Axel sighed.

"You have _NO_ idea." Leon smirked and Roxas glared.

"Hey! Don't make that sound like a bad thing!"

"But it was!"

"You said you liked 'babysitting' me!"

"I said _was_, didn't I?"

"Hmph…" Leon wrapped the tape back up and put it away.

"You two argue like siblings, that's for sure." Both boys turned to the brunette.

"Do not!" they said simultaneously. Leon rolled his eyes.

"I rest my case. Follow me." Leon walked out of the changing room and up to the clothing racks. "These three racks have clothes that'll fit blondie here, and those two racks over there have stuff that'll fit you, firehead."

"Cool. Thanks, Leon."

"No problem, big brother."

"I'm not his-" Leon had disappeared. A bead of sweat dropped down Axel's face as he started looking through the clothes on the rack. He took a shirt and a pair of jeans off the rack. He handed them to Roxas. "Go into that room we were just in, go into one of the smaller rooms, and change into these." Roxas nodded and ran off. Axel continued to look through the racks.

"You love him, don't you." Axel jumped and looked behind him. Leon was standing there, mischievous smirk on his lips. Axel blushed.

"N-no, why would you say that?"

"It's written all over your face. In bright red." Axel sighed.

"It's just hot in here. Nothing meant by it." Leon's smirk grew.

"If he isn't yours, then can I have him?" Axel's eyes went wide and his hands were grabbing Leon's collar before he knew what he was doing.

"Stay AWAY from him."

"Stop right there and look at yourself." The pyro came back to reality in that instant. He let go of Leon's collar. His hands were shaking. "You love him." Axel crossed his arms until the shaking stopped.

"I don't…I-I can't…"

"Then explain why you killed my collar, _big brother_." He said the words sarcastically.

"I want to…protect him…" Leon stood next to Axel and leaned over until his lips nearly touched his ear.

"The best way to protect him is by making him yours. Trust me." Axel shivered. Leon walked away and the redhead looked through the racks as though nothing had happened.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~Meanwhile, in the changing room~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Roxas looked himself over in the mirror. He was wearing a loose black shirt with a white jacket and navy blue jeans.

"…Not bad."

"Not bad at all." Roxas turned around, nearly summoning his keyblades out of habit. A tall blonde was standing there. "Hey."

"Um…Hi. Who are you?"

"Cloud. You?"

"Roxas." Cloud sat on a bench.

"Well, _Roxas_, Leon told me to put together a few outfits for you."

"Oh, okay. Thanks." Cloud handed Roxas a pair of pants and a shirt, who went back inside to change.

"Who was that guy? Your brother?" Cloud heard Roxas sigh.

"Why does everyone say that? He's my friend, not my brother."

"You two don't look related. You just look really close." The shorter stopped changing and smiled.

"Yeah…we are…"

"…You like him." Roxas choked on air and turned red.

"What?"

"You like him."

"Of course I do, he's my best friend." Roxas put the clothes on and opened the door. Cloud rolled his eyes.

"Not what I meant. You love him, don't you?" Roxas walked and looked at himself in the mirror.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Cloud smirked.

"Yes you do."

"Well you can't prove it."

"Bet I can. Come here." Roxas walked up to the older blonde. Cloud smirked again. He had given him a collared shirt for a reason. "If you do like him, you will most likely…" Cloud grabbed the younger's collar and pulled him into a kiss. Roxas, eyes wide with shock, backed up and covered his mouth. Cloud gave a satisfied nod. "…Pull away." Roxas was beet red.

"Of course I pulled away, I don't even know you!"

"Which would be motivation TO kiss me. To 'leave a mark' so to speak."

"That doesn't mean anything!"

"You pulled away because you want _him_ to be your first _REAL_ kiss. Otherwise you would have relaxed into it." Roxas raised an eyebrow.

"That wasn't a real kiss?" Cloud shook his head and Roxas sighed in relief.

"Explain the sigh."

"It was…I wasn't…I don't…I can't…"

"You love him." The shorter blonde shook his head furiously. Cloud rolled his eyes. "Keep living in denial. But be careful, someone else might take him first." And with that the older walked away. Roxas fell to his knees.

"How can I love him…If I don't have a heart to love with?"

.o.O.o.

"Um…A-Axel?" The pyro stopped walking and turned to Roxas, who had stopped before him and was now a few feet behind.

"Uh-huh?" Roxas couldn't look Axel in the eyes for some reason.

"You think, maybe we can sleep somewhere other than the clock tower tonight?"

"Hmm…" Axel tapped his chin and looked down. The bags on his wrist rustled against each other. "…I can think of a place." The blonde's eyes lit up.

"Really? Where?"

"…You'll see." Axel held a hand up and opened a corridor of darkness. Roxas cringed. He hadn't seen one since they had left the Organization, let alone gone through one. The blonde took a step back. "What's wrong?"

"These things…they bring back memories…memories I don't want anymore…" Axel's eyes widened a bit.

"Do you want to forget _everything_ about The Organization and your time with them?"

"…Yes." The knot in the redhead's throat tightened again. _…even me?_ Axel sighed.

"Going thought them one more time won't kill you." The older held out his hand. Roxas took a deep breath and grabbed it. Together they popped out at their destination. Roxas felt his jaw drop.

"Um…Axel?"

"Yes?"

"Why are we at a _mansion_?" Axel smirked.

"What mansion? This is just my parent's old vacation home." The redhead looked down. "Well…Lea's parents, at least." Roxas walked up to the porch and tried to open the door.

"It's locked, how do we get in?" Axel put his hand on Roxas's shoulder and led him backwards so he could stand in front of the door. The taller closed his eyes.

"I remember…I used to sneak in here…when I needed to get away from life. With Isa…I used to…" He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling out a hairpin. He bent it straight with his teeth. "…Use a pin…and pick the lock…" Eyes still closed, the pyro got on one knee and fiddled with the pin and lock.

Click

He stood up and opened the door before opening his eyes. Roxas stood in shock.

"How did you do that with your eyes closed?" Axel shrugged.

"Just focused in on that memory and did what I saw Lea doing." He walked inside and inhaled deeply. "This place was a big part of my past, too. So many nights spent here, with and without my mom and dad, but mostly without. Me and Isa had our first…" Axel snapped back into reality before he finished that statement. Roxas raised an eyebrow. "Uh, forget it."

"This place is huge…"

"Yeah, it's pretty big. You get used to it. C'mon, lets go put this stuff in the closet. Axel walked upstairs and into a room, Roxas following. The blonde gasped. It was a walk in closet. A _big_ walk in closet. He noticed two doors on either side of the room.

"Where do those doors lead?" Axel finished hanging the last of the new clothes, his on the top bar and Roxas's on the lower bar.

"The door on the right leads into my parents' room, the other one leads into mine." Curiosity got the better of the blonde as he walked up to the door on the left and opened it. His jaw dropped.

"…Axel?'

"Yeah?"

"Why is your bedroom painted _pink_?"

"U-um…" Axel blushed. His room was indeed pink. A shade of pale pink that Isa had broken his nature to tease him about. He sighed.

"You want the truth?"

"That would be nice."

"I…was supposed to…kinda…sorta…be a girl…" Roxas stood there in silence for a full three minutes.

"…Pfft…Ahahahahahahahaha!" Roxas laughed so hard his stomach clenched, but he didn't care. The mental image of Axel in a dress was worth it.

"Don't laugh. What if I said I kinda _wished_ I was born a girl?"

"Why would you wish that?"

"Girls have it easy. They get everything handed to them on a silver platter and don't even realize it."

"You have a bit of a sexist side, don't you?"

"Well, not exactly. But that's beside the point. You can sleep in the guest room, my room, or with me in my parents room. Pick one." It didn't take the blonde long to answer.

"Your parent's room."

"Really?"

"Uh huh." Axel smirked.

"Okay." Axel shut the door to his room and opened the door to his parent's room. There was a king sized bed in it and the walls were painted a light green. He grabbed two pairs of pajamas and walked in, Roxas at his heels. He threw one pair at Roxas. The pants were black with red vertical stripes and the shirt was button down and all red. Axel went into the bathroom to give the blonde some privacy. Roxas stripped to his boxers and tugged the shirt and pants on. He folded his newly removed clothes as Axel opened the bathroom door. The younger's jaw practically hit the floor. Axel was wearing silk black pajama bottoms, but he was bare from the waist up.

"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

"To go to sleep? I'm more comfortable without one." Roxas walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. _What in hell just happened? I've seen him without a shirt before. Hell, we've changed in front of each other before. Why am I feeling weird now? _The blonde splashed cold water on his face. _Go back out there, tell him to put a shirt on… _He walked back out, eyes settling on the redhead who was now curled up under the forest green comforter. He sat up, giving Roxas another wiew of his chest. His toned, slightly tanned chest. The shorter shuddered.

"U-um…I, uh…"

"…You okay there, Roxas?"

"Uh, yeah, fine…" He slipped under the blanket and next to the redhead. Axel rolled over to look at him.

"If there was something wrong, you'd tell me, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, of course." Axel smirked. _Then why're you trying so hard to make me think everything is just peaches and cream? _He wrapped his arm around the blonde's waist protectively.

"Goodnight, Roxas."

"Night, Axel." The blonde fell asleep almost immediately. Axel closed his eyes, but the bliss of sleep never took him. Almost an hour had passed. He sighed and got out of bed, careful not to wake his friend. _I need a walk…_ Axel walked to the front door, opening it and slipping outside into the night.


	4. Bonding Under the Stars Once More

Roxas tossed and turned in his sleep before finally waking up with a gasp. He felt around next to him. Axel wasn't there. Odd. He was there when Roxas went to sleep… The blonde looked at the clock. 1:56 am. He sighed. _Where could he have run off to this late at night? _Roxas untangled himself from his covers and hopped off the bed. He went to the bathroom. No Axel. He went in the closet. No Axel. He went in the kitchen. No Axel. The shorter searched every room in the house, a few of them more than once. Axel was no where to be found. The younger sat in the sofa in the living room. _Maybe…Did he decide to go back? He…He wouldn't leave me, right?_ Roxas was starting to get frantic at the idea of being abandoned by his best friend. He heard a sigh. It was coming from…outside. Roxas peeked through a window and saw the pyro sitting on the porch steps. He opened the door and walked out.

"Axel? Why're you up so late?" Axel spun around, shocked.

"Oh, um, Roxas. I couldn't sleep. …Why are _you_ up so late?"

"Woke up and couldn't go back to sleep."

"Ah." Axel patted the ground next to him. Roxas sat.

"What were you looking at?" The redhead looked up.

"The stars. Notice anything different about them?" The blonde looked up as well. He scanned the sky, not seeing any changes.

"They look the same as they did in Twilight Town."

"Exactly. That's why I like the stars. They never seem to change. No matter where you are, they always look the same. They're…eternal."

"Eternal?"

"Uh huh." A silence fell over the two as they both stared into the sky, Axel smirking and Roxas utterly amazed yet again. A flash of light streaked the sky.

"Hey, another one of those shooting star things…"

"Yeah, make a wish, Roxas." Both of them closed their eyes, opening them after they made their wish. "What did you wish for now?" Raxas felt his face heat and looked away.

"Uh…It's a secret this time." He looked back at the redhead. "What about you?"

"Mine's a secret, too, actually."

"No fair."

"Hey, you started it."

"Hmph."

"Why won't you tell me?"

"Because it's a pretty private wish. Stupid, but still private."

"…If you say so." _Does he not trust me or something? _They sat in silence for another few minutes, staring at the sky. Then Axel remembered the question he had wanted to ask earlier. "Hey, Roxas?"

"Yeah?"

"You said you put thought into leaving the Organization, right?" Roxas nodded, not entirely sure what the pyro was getting at. "What kinds of things did you consider?"

"Well…how I'd be able to get away, first of all. I had a whole escape planned out until I remembered I could just walk out the front door. Which led to fighting my way through dusks and samurais and eventually Saix."

"You fought Saix? Why was I not informed? You could've gotten killed!"

"I didn't 'inform' you because I knew you'd react like that." Roxas paused and thought some more. "I also thought about the chances of someone being sent to drag me back. They seemed pretty high. And I tried to gauge how much I actually wanted to leave. That was pretty high, too." Axel sighed.

"Did you ever once think of how I'd feel if you left?"

"I didn't think I had to. We can't feel."

"But what If we could? What if we were in this situation and we had our hearts?"

"…I don't know."

"Would you still have left me?" Roxas was silent before letting out a sigh.

"…Probably." The knot in the redhead's throat hurt terribly. But thanks to a flashback caused by their current conversation, Axel knew exactly where he had felt this before. This tightness…this pain…he felt it for the first time waiting for Roxas that day outside of Memory's Skyscraper.

"…I finally figured out why I followed you." The blonde looked up at Axel, eyes suddenly twinkling with intrest.

"Why then?"

"Because."

"…Just because?"

"No. Because I couldn't bear the thought of not knowing how you were. Because I want to protect you. Because I didn't want to lose you. Because when I'm with you, I don't give a damn if I don't have a heart. Because…you make me feel. I don't care if you say I can't feel just because I'm a nobody. These feelings are _real_. _And_ mine. And all because of you." Roxas was silent. Axel sighed.

"…How about we say our wishes at the same time?"

"Huh?"

"Our wishes. I still want to know yours." Axel smirked.

"I wished to know what love felt like. But it was a dumb wish. I already know what love feels like." The blonde raised an eyebrow.

"Really? How?" Axel shook his head. _Damn him and his adorable ignorance…_

"Because I love _you_." Roxas was quiet again, so Axel continued. "Do you have any idea how I felt when you were leaving? I felt…unimportant to you. And when you said you wanted to forget everything about the Organization? I thought you meant me, too. I had a tightness in my throat I couldn't place. But it was sadness. Sadness and fear that you didn't want me around." Roxas shook his head.

"How…how could you even think that?" The blonde wrapped around the pyro, who now looked like he was seconds away from crying. "You mean everything to me."

"Then why would you leave me behind? If I wasn't there, you would've walked away and left me…well, heartbroken. Pun not intended."

"I…I didn't know you could feel…" At this, Axel snapped.

"It's not just me! _You_ can feel too! And don't you dare even try to deny it! Think back! Laughing when we were on the clocktower eating ice cream? _Happiness_! Crying when Xion passed? _Sadness_! Running when Vexen tried to experiment? _Fear_! Falling asleep on missions? _Boredom_! _You_ have emotions, too! It isn't just me!" The redhead remembered his innate need for oxygen and gasped deeply when the rant was over, followed by panting. Roxas's eyes widened in shock.

"You…You're right…"

"You're damn right, I'm right! I don't need a heart to feel…I just need you." Roxas smiled.

"So you love me, huh?"

"More than I would ever be able to say."

"What if I said I wished for the same thing?" The redhead raised an eyebrow.

"I'd say 'wow'."

"I want to know what love feels like, too."

"It feels…fluttery. Happy. And you just never want to leave the person's side. You worry about them. And you want to try your best to make them smile." Axel smirked, remembering the wish he'd made on the last shooting star.

"Now what if I said I feel that way to someone, too?"

"I'd say 'who'."

"You."

"Then I'd say- wait, what?" Roxas smirked. That had obviously caught Axel off guard. "You're serious?"

"Uh huh." Axel ran through possible responses in his mind, none of which sounded appropriate for this situation. Instead he sat there, grinning like an idiot, until he wrapped his arms around Roxas.

"I knew you loved me, too."

"Oh yeah? How?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I know _you_. And I also know that you've wanted to do this to me for a long time." The pyro leaned down and kissed Roxas's lips gently, savoring the softness of them and odd, fruit flavor. Roxas let his eyes slide shut and let his hands wander. Axel's pajamas had consisted of baggy silk pants and nothing else, meaning he was shirtless. He moved his lips against the taller's after what seemed like an hour of mental preparation. Roxas, after all, hadn't actually kissed anyone before. Kissing meaning him doing the kissing, no one else kissing him first to prove a point. A point that, Roxas noted, had actually been correct. Axel again remembered his need for oxygen to continue living and broke the kiss. He attempted to look the blonde in the eyes but his eyes were still closed, making Axel laugh. The shorter's eyes fluttered open. He smiled.

"You should've warned me."

"About?"

"About how good of a kisser you are." Axel flushed.

"Thanks, although that was kind of my first kiss."

"Really?"

"Of course. You were worth waiting for." Now Roxas blushed.

"But you know, there's much more than kissing that I want to try." Axel just smirked.

"Don't complain if I'm no good at it, though. Got it memorized?"

"I don't care how good you are at it, as long as you're the one who's doing it. Memorize _that_, flamesilocks." The redhead's smirk grew as he picked up the boy bridal style, earning a few noises of protest, but little else. He walked back into the house, still cradling Roxas. The pyro walked towards the bedroom, being careful that the younger didn't get hit on anything, and dropped the blonde onto the awaiting bed. Roxas pouted. "No fair, how come you get to be on top?" Axel rolled his eyes.

"Think about it, Roxas. I'm older. And taller. And I outrank you. And I think I've seen more porn than you have. Why wouldn't I be on top?" Roxas let out a meep noise at the mention of porn, feeling all the blood in his body either rush to his face or to his…lower regions.

"You watch porn?"

"Well, I don't, but when you're surrounded by an Organization of pervs and pedophiles, you catch a few glimpses."

Pervs and pedophiles."

"Yes, pervs and pedophiles. Marluxia, Vexen, and Xigbar. Zexion and Demyx, too, if they're drunk or bored. Saix on rare occasions. And Luxord is a closet perv."

"Meaning?"

"He isn't a pervert when he's around others, but he's a pervert in private." Roxas sighed. He knew about Marluxia, from personal experience of pouncing and almost-rape. Vexen and Xigbar, well, he knew about them too, but in the beginning hadn't expected it. And Zexion. What do you think is _in_ that book he's always reading, fairy tales? Guess again. Demyx is…just Demyx. Being a pervert every once in a while just goes with his lifestyle. Luxord on the other hand…he did a really good job at hiding his inner pedophile. And Saix…he's just Saix. Acting like he has a pole up his ass all the time earns him a bit of pervy time every now and again.

"So _you're_ not a pervert?" A mischevious gleam made its way into Axel's eyes.

"I didn't say that." The redhead straddled Roxas's hips and brought their lips together again. Roxas shivered as he felt a hot tongue trace his lips. He parted his lips slightly, and the real fun began. Their tongues danced together in sinful ways that betrayed their inexperience. For the time being, Roxas let Axel dominate the kiss. The pyro's tongue explored the shorter's mouth, only breaking away when he needed air. Roxas, face now flushed and breathing heavily, whimpered when the older pulled away. Axel laughed. "Anything you'd like to say?" Roxas's eyes widened and the blood rushed to his face and groin again.

"Y-you want me t-to…say it?" Axel smirked devilishly.

"I won't know what you want if you don't tell me." The blonde's hair clashed terribly with the redness of his face.

"F-fuck me…"

"'Scuse me? I didn't quite catch that."

"Dammit Axel, fuck me!" The boy's instincts took over. He tackled Axel back so he was on top. Their lips moved again, this time with the boy leading but the redhead trying to fight back. One hand moved across the taller's chest while the other moved lower to the man's clothed, growing erection. He massaged it softly through the thin silk fabric, making Axel moan just a bit. That shocked Roxas back into reality. "And that was?"

"A beautiful thing called a moan. Which now that you're calm again, you're about to be doing a lot of." Another push ended with them back in their original position of Axel as the seme and Roxas the uke. Another particularly wet game of tongue tag ensued. The pyro moved his hand to Roxas's chest and fondled with the buttons of his night shirt. When they all popped open, Roxas shrugged it off and threw it in a random direction. Axel lowered his lips to his neck, laying gentle kisses on it until he found his pulse point. He licked it slowly and Roxas shivered and bit his lip. Axel smirked.

"Don't bite your lip. Let the moans out. I like hearing them." Roxas blushed and looked away, but nodded. The redhead licked down to the smaller boy's collarbone, nipping at it and sucking on the red marks that developed. Roxas reached down and pulled at the fabric of Axel's nightpants until they pooled around the pyro's knees. Axel quickly kicked them off, slightly embarrassed as he realized that he was now hovering over his best friend wearing nothing but red boxers. Roxas must've picked up on that, too. He smirked and pushed Axel up onto his knees.

And then a memory that was not his own invaded his mind.

_A familiar brunette was laying in a bed, naked and panting. Another boy with silver hair was on his hands and knees over him, caging him in. The silverette had a smirk on his face. He pulled the boy up onto his knees and grasped his erection tightly. The brunette gasped._

"_A-ah…R-Riku…don't tease m-me…"_

"_Why not? Teasing you is half the fun." The silverette took the brunette's member into his mouth slowly. The brunette let out a long moan as he watched his cock disappear into the warmth of his lover's mouth bit by bit, inch by inch, until he couldn't see it anymore. The older boy started sucking gently. The smaller's hand fisted into the silver locks as the pressure in his stomach grew. The sucks came faster and harder, encouraged by the noises coming from the younger. The brunette shuddered as he came hard into his best friend's mouth. The silverette swallowed the cum and licked his lips. "Plus, you taste so damn good." The brunette just laid there panting harder than ever._

"_You…are such…a sex fiend…" The older laughed._

"_Only with you."_

Roxas shook the erotic images out of his head. He had to admit, that did look like fun… He kissed Axel again, this time sliding both hands under the waistband of his boxers, sliding them down until his throbbing cock was exposed. He grabbed the exposed organ and stroked it slowly as he ran his tongue down Axel's body, sending chills of pleasure through his veins. He moved downwards teasingly, moving from his ear, to lips, to throat, to collarbone, to nipples, to bellybutton, and finally to the base of the redhead's member. He licked to the tip and blew on it. Axel shuddered and tried to resist the urge to face fuck the blonde until he gagged. Roxas took the head into his mouth, running his tongue along it and poked into the slit.

"hahh…you sure you've never d-done this be-before?" Roxas laughed at Axel's faltering voice, sending vibrations up Axel's spine. He fisted into the blonde hair in front of him. His head tilted back with pleasure as the pressure in his stomach tightened. With one fast movement, Roxas deep throated the cock, swallowing every so often along with the slight bobbing of his head. Axel came before he could warn the boy. The blonde was thrown back in shock. He swallowed everything and laid down, honestly spent. Axel laid with him. He licked the corner of his mouth, which was dripping with a trail of his essence. It was weird, tasting himself, but not unwelcome. It was a sweet taste, but also salty. Roxas laughed.

"Even your cum tastes like sea salt ice cream." Axel flushed redder than his hair.

"Next time, I'm tasting _you_." Roxas nodded.

"Okay, okay. It's only fair. You're pleasuring _me_ next time." Axel rolled his eyes.

"You are such a sex fiend." Roxas laughed again.

"Only with you." The blonde laid on the redhead's chest. The older ran his fingers through the blonde spikes and sighed. They shut their eyes, but sleep never even got the chance to take them.

"Well well, that was a hot little show we walked in on, wasn't it?"

"Yes, yes it was."

"I wish we would've come earlier, we could've joined!" Axel and Roxas froze. They knew those voices.


	5. Discoveries and Revelations

No way. They're dreaming. They must be dreaming. They hadn't found them. They weren't really there. They were just dreaming. Or they were awake and hearing things.

"Well well, that was a hot little show we walked in on, wasn't it?" The two in the bed looked around and saw no one, but they would know that voice anywhere. Xigbar.

"Yes, yes it was." Another familiar voice, but no visible body to go with it. Zexion.

"I wish we would've come earlier, we could've joined!" Undoubtedly the perkiest of the three voices. Demyx. Roxas glared into the morning darkness.

"Where are you three?" On cue, they revealed themselves. Xigbar dropped down from the ceiling. Zexion released the illusion he'd been using to hide himself. Demyx reversed the invisibility magic he had cast. Roxas blushed and fumbled to slip his clothes back on. Axel just met each of their looks. He saw amused gold, emotionless midnight blue, and sympathetic aqua blue. He sneered at them.

"Why are you here?" The three men looked at each other. Demyx spoke up.

"Superior ordered us to bring you two back…" Zexion continued, knowing that Demyx's kind demeanor wouldn't allow him to finish that sentence.

"Dead or alive." Roxas's eyes went wide. Xigbar sighed, his visible eye also starting to show regret.

"We don't want to kill you. So how about you just come with us? If you do, Mansex and the werewolf will drop everything against you." Roxas nodded slightly. Axel on the other hand, wasn't as easy to convince. He slipped on his own clothes and stood.

"What, are you insane? We're as good as dusks if we go back. There's nothing left for us there. We're not going."

"Axel…" He cursed internally for not making it come out as more than a whisper. Roxas pulled gently on Axel's pants to get his attention. "Give it up. We go or we die…And I don't want you to die." Axel's face scrunched in annoyance.

"…Fine, we'll go. But…" Axel grabbed Roxas and hefted him over his shoulder. "You'll have to catch us first!" He casted aero at them and ran out of the house. Once all three were safely on the ground again, Xigbar growled.

"I warned them. C'mon, we have to finish this mission the hard way." Demyx looked down and Zexion nodded. All three ran to follow the fugitives.

"Axel, put me down!" Axel ran towards the woods behind the house, pausing behind a thick tree and putting the boy down. "Why did you run? Now they're gonna hunt us down!"

"I know."

"Then why do it?"

"…I don't want to go back."

"Why not?"

"Why _should_ I go back? Return to that place only to have my emotions denied and be turned into a dusk and never see you again? I'd rather _die_, Roxas!" Roxas gulped a bit. He had never seen Axel so serious.

"Axel, I-" His voice was cut off by the sound of another.

"How touching. We tried to warn you. You could've came back unscathed. But now, it's too late." The three revealed themselves again, Xigbar with his guns already out. Axel stood in front of Roxas.

"I'm not letting you kill him." Xigbar smirked.

"Fine, die together then." Axel summoned his chakrams and whispered to Roxas.

"Run." Roxas's eyes went wide again.

"But what'll-"

"Don't worry about me, just get out of here, I'll hold them off. One of them might follow you, but one is much easier to deal with than three." Roxas nodded and ran deeper into the forest. All three tried to follow, but Axel stood in their way. He took a deep breath. 'I love you, Roxas. I hope you memorized that.' He thought. He knew the most likely outcome would be his death, but he didn't care as long as Roxas made it out okay. "You'll get to him over my dead body."

"That can be arranged. Demyx, Zexion, follow Roxas." They nodded. Axel's eyes widened with fear. He had only expected one to chase Roxas. He hoped the kid had stuck with his training. He would need it against those two together. Axel and Xigbar had a staredown, neither moving, until Xigbar disappeared from sight, only to appear behind the redhead. And so their fight began.

Roxas ran through the forest, swerving through trees in a desperate attempt to escape. He stopped in his tracks, horrified, when a piercing scream rang out. He was pretty sure it was Axel's. The blonde sank to his knees. He heard a twig snap and looked behind him. Two cloaked figures were standing there. Roxas didn't have the resolve to try and move. They inched closer.

"Surely you knew this was going to happen, XIII." Zexion's stoic face hid a bit of sympathy. Roxas stayed put.

"Yeah, I knew…That's why I didn't want Axel to come. Now…Now Xigbar is there fighting him. That scream…It was his…" Demyx walked up and placed a hand on Roxas's shoulder. The smaller blonde tensed, but made no move to shrug Demyx off.

"Roxas, Axel made his choice. But you can still come back."

"Yes. VIII chose death, but return with us and you'll be spared." Roxas shook his head.

"I…I can't. Not now…" Roxas turned and locked eyes with Demyx, then Zexion. Tears were streaming his cheeks. "Not without him." Demyx and Zexion stood in shock. The taller blonde turned to his superior.

"Zexion…He's crying. Nobodies can't cry…can they?" Zexion, still a bit shocked at seeing Roxas's tears, shook his head.

"You need emotions to cry, IX. We have none." Roxas clenched his fists and the tears came faster.

"What if we do have emotions? What if we don't need hearts at all?" Zexion took a step closer.

"Impossible. Without hearts, we cannot truly feel."

"Fine! If you're so sure, then go ahead and believe it! But I don't believe we're emotionless shells! We do have emotions! And even if we don't, I don't care!" He stood, but wouldn't look up at them. "He…he made me feel like I had a heart. He made me feel period. Happiness, sadness, anger, love, he showed it all to me…" Demyx's grip on Roxas's shoulder tightened. Zexion walked to Roxas's side and examined his face. He really was crying. The taller blonde glanced at the schemer, who looked back with a look of understanding on his face.

"Demyx, let's go." Roxas looked at the blue haired boy, confused.

"Y-you're leaving?"

"Yes. If you don't want to go back, then who are we to force you?" Roxas raised an eyebrow.

"B-but…why?" Demyx smiled and patted the boy's shoulder.

"What, do you _want_ us to force you back?"

"No, but why are you letting me go?" Zexion looked Roxas in the eyes and sighed.

"There was a time, Roxas, when I also believed I could feel. I believed I didn't need a heart. One person was enough to make me question what I had believed since joining Organization XIII. It's been years since then. I've learned to suppress my so called 'feelings'. But every once in a while…I find myself wondering if he had been right. If what he made me feel had been real." Roxas nodded. It was reassuring, knowing that Zexion understood.

"But…who was that?" Zexion smirked.

"He's standing right next to you." Roxas looked up at the taller blonde, honest shock in his eyes. Demyx just smiled.

"Aw, Zexy, I'm touched." Zexion rolled his eyes.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Do _not _call me Zexy!"

"But it suits you so well! And it rhymes with sexy. My sexy Zexy!" Zexion growled and flushed slightly.

"Don't make me hit you over the head with the Lexicon again." Demyx gulped.

"Aw, c'mon, Zexy, don't be like that!"

"Goddammit Demyx, are you even listening to me? Stop. Calling. Me. Zexy!" Demyx hugged Zexion.

"Never!" The blue haired boy tried and failed to wiggle away. He sighed and looked back at Roxas, who was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Does VIII treat you like this?"

"Basically, yeah."

"Don't take it for granted. You never know how long you'll have him around to do it." Zexion finally slipped his way out of the older blonde's vice grip and summoned a portal.

"Wait! I know you won't take me in today…And I owe you big for that…but what're you gonna tell Xemnas?" Zexion pondered the question for a minute.

"I met two young lovers today. I see nothing to report about that." Roxas smiled. Zexion turned to walk through the corridor and was tackled from behind. Somehow he remained on his two feet. He looked down at the small blonde. His arms were wrapped around the bluenette's waist.

"Thanks, Zexion." The oldest put a hand on Roxas's head, ruffling his hair slightly.

"You're welcome. Now kindly, let me breathe." Roxas let go, still smiling.

"Right, sorry."

"It's alright." Roxas got a hug from Demyx, who walked and stood next to Zexion in front of the portal. "You're doing what Demyx and I never had the gall to do. That proves you have a stronger will then the two of us. Find Axel and go home. You won't be bothered for a while."

"That is, unless me and Zexy get bored and decide to drop in!" Demyx winked at the smaller blonde, who smiled and nodded. Zexion summoned the Lexicon and held it up menacingly.

"You truly are pushing your luck, IX." Demyx smiled mischievously.

"Yup, I know." The book came down on Demyx's head. He winced and rubbed where the book made contact. Roxas gave up and let out his laughter.

"And what is so funny?"

"Haha, you're funny, _Zexy_!" The book came down on Roxas's head, but it wasn't enough to stop the laughter. Zexion sighed.

"Behave and don't get yourself killed, understand?"

"Uh huh." Zexion nodded and walked through the portal. Demyx hadn't noticed. His eyes were still clenched from the pain of the book. An arm reached back through the portal, grabbed Demyx's hood, and pulled him through. The corridor closed with a hiss. Roxas smirked. _I always knew those two had something special between them. I guess I have two new allies, now. _Roxas ran through the forest and towards the house, hoping to the Gods that Axel was still breathing.


	6. Axel Learns His Lesson

Axel grunted as he was thrown against a tree, sliding down it until he lied in a crumpled heap at its' base. Xigbar crept up menacingly. The sharpshooter didn't have a scratch and didn't seem to be out of breath, unlike the redhead, who was bloody and panting heavily. Xigbar smirked and shot an arrow into Axel's leg, close range. It ripped through the flesh, and quite possibly bone, making Axel release a loud, blood-curdling scream. He couldn't move anymore. The arrow had paralyzed him without ever having to tough his spine.

But in reality, Axel knew the reason he couldn't move was his own doing. The fear of his own death, or worse, Roxas's, had rendered his lower body useless. Xigbar stopped about three steps in front of Axel.

"Dammit, Flamesilocks, you've gotten better. But not good enough to beat me." The redhead stayed silent, unmoving. Xigbar sighed. "You're gonna give your life so kiddo can live a little longer?" A flash of heat settled in the pyro's chest. A feeling of pure fury. The adrenaline rush numbed his pain temporarily. He stood and looked at the older man.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm gonna do." Axel growled and threw a chakram at Xigbar, who dodged it swiftly. It impaled a tree behind him and turned to ashes. The pony tailed man turned back to the redhead.

"You're too hurt to do anything. Say goodbye, you big pain in the ass." Axel smirked.

"Goodbye, you big pain in the ass." He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a flurry of smoke. Xigbar growled.

"Running away? That's all you're good at, isn't it?"

"Nope!" He heard from somewhere above him. Xigbar looked up just in time to see Axel flying at him full speed, flamimg chakrams in hand. He blocked them with his arrowguns, staying on his feet but managing to be pushed back several meters. The older man smirked.

"There we go, there's the flamsilocks I know! C'mon, show me what you got!" Axel did a backflip, landing neatly on a tree branch. He snapped his fingers again. Suddenly, the handle of his guns got very hot. He dropped them and sucked air through his teeth. "Man, that was a dirty trick!"

"Heh, you would know all about those, wouldn't you?" Another snap. Four Axel-clones surrounded Xigbar, all with a flame burning in their palms. The real Axel smirked sadistically. "I'm not letting you kill me. I'm not letting you take me from him. He needs me."

"Who, kiddo? Ha! The boy has all the power of Kingdom Hearts at his fingertips. Why would he need you?"

"Because he loves me."

"_Love_, huh? That's a neat little accomplishment, seeing as he doesn't have a heart to love with."

"Shut up. He does love me. And what if I said I love him back?"

"You're a moron, flamsilocks. This is the last chance I'm giving you. Come home with me, Demy, and Zexy, or you'll be dead by morning." Xicbar said quietly. His voice was almost pleading now. He didn't want to kill Axel. He really didn't. But he was a traitor. He abandoned the Organization. But…does that justify murder? Axel just sighed and smiled softly.

"I can't, Xiggy. You know just as well as I do that I'll be turned into a dusk if I went back." The redhead let his arms drop to his sides. "Didn't you have anyone, even if you don't anymore, that you'd die for? That you wanted to protect, regardless of the cost?" Xigbar's mind immediately flickered to Xaldin. They used to be close, in spite of how much they fought. He would've probably jumped in front of a herd of giant heartless to save him.

But that was when he had a heart.

"Yeah, I guess I did."

"Don't you remember what it felt like?"

"Heh, sure do."

"That's how I feel. With him. I don't give a shit if you don't think we have emotions. I say we do. And even if we don't, he makes me feel like I do. And I'll _never_ leave him. Even if I die." Xigbar scratched his neck and grunted before grinning.

"Hey flamsilocks, c'mere. I got a proposition for ya." Axel hesitated before jumping down, landing next to the pony tailed man.

"I'm listening." Xigbar's face became emotionless. He pulled out one of his arrowguns and before Axel could react, shot him in the stomach. The redhead gagged, fell to his knees, and coughed up crimson blood. Xigbar looked at the scene and felt a knot form in his own stomach. What in hell had he just done? Axel was his comrade, his brother-in-arms, his friend. Yeah, he was a traitor, but the redhead had his reasons. Reasons that Xigbar understood, even though he couldn't relate to them. The knot got tighter and throbbed painfully. His body worked on auto pilot from then on. Xigbar picked the suffering man up bridal style and sat him against the trunk of a thick tree. He drew a circle in the dirt around Axel. With a whisper of 'curaga', the circle glowed a light green, and the redhead's injuries started to fade. He looked up at Xigbar questioningly.

"So first you try and kill me and now you heal me? Damn, you're indecisive today, Xiggy." He said in the most sarcastic way he could, trying his best to fight past the pain and focus on the slow healing the circle was allowing him. Xigbar smirked.

"You gonna make me regret it?"

"Why, of course I will." The older man chuckled.

"Let's make a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"You were obviously holding back in our fight, and now you're half dead." Axel rolled his eyes.

"Maybe I was. Your point?"

"I'll look the other way. Forget I ever saw you or kiddo."

"Oh yeah? What's the catch? There's _always_ a catch with you."

"No, there's always a catch with _Luxy_. But there _is_ a catch this time. I'll look the other way, _IF_ you live your life, get strong, and come back to gimme a real fight."

"You that desperate for an even fight?"

"Nah. You got potential, flamsilocks. It'd be a damn shame if you never got to realize it. Once you do, come find me, and we'll be cool."

"Hmm…" He put a finger to his lips, pretending to ponder the question. "I suppose I can't refuse, can I?"

"Well, you can, if you _want_ to die. But then you wouldn't be much use to kiddo, would ya?"

"Yeah, I guess I wouldn't."

"You were wrong, y'know. Asking him to run."

"Oh? And what would you know?"

"More than you do. I am in my thirties, after all."

"Yeah, yeah, skip to the point, old man." Xigbar shot him a glare. Axel shrugged. "Hey, you said it, not me."

"Kiddo probably wanted to fight with you. If not to help, than at least to see what happened to you. I bet he's havin' a damn heart attack, pun not intended, over your careless ass." Xigbar's ears twitched. "Well, speak of the devil. That's my clue to ditch this pop stand." He opened a corridor of darkness.

"So, you gonna turn us in to Mansex?"

"Nope, you're good."

"Thanks, Xigbar."

"No problemo. You really wanna thank me, take care of yourself, and kiddo."

"Heh, you got it." Xigbar nodded.

"Seeya later, Axel." He walked through the portal. Axel grinned.

"Let's hope not for a long time." The redhead heard rustling. His head snapped in that direction. "Demy? Zexy?" A short blonde boy walked into his line of sight.

"Guess again."

"Roxas!" Roxas smiled and walked to Axel's side.

"In the flesh." Axel smiled widely and pulled Roxas down into a hug.

"Oh Gods, I'm so glad you're okay!" The blonde hugged him back tightly. But when he pulled back, his eyes filled with anger and…

_THWACK!_

Axel got slapped. Hard. He held his throbbing cheek and winced.

"The hell was that for?" He opened his eyes and looked back up at the blonde. He had tears streaming his cheeks.

"For making me leave!"

"What?"

"For telling me to run while you stayed here and fought Xigbar! Godsdammit, I was worried about you!"

"…I'm sorry."

"We're in this together, right?" Axel nodded. "Well then we fight together, too! The good and the bad, we do it _all_ with each other!" Axel sighed.

"I just didn't want you to get hurt…"

"I'm not weak, Axel! I can handle myself!" The redhead looked down, eyes flooded with sadness. The words that Xigbar had said…they couldn't be true…could they?

"So…you…don't need me then?" The blonde picked up on his lover's discomfort. He grabbed his chin and made them lock eyes. Roxas smiled softly.

"Axel, I will _always_ need you." Axel smiled again and pulled Roxas closer.

"And I'll always be there with you." The redhead pushed their lips together and moved slowly and deeply. Roxas moved back. Axel ran his tongue along Roxas's bottom lip. The blonde parted his lips and shivered when he felt the invading tongue running across his own. The taller took his time. He wanted to savor this flavor. The flavor of fruit and mint put together in something that could only come from Roxas. Roxas, the kid who he'd been paired up with for missions as a punishment. The kid he'd become best friends with by choice. The kid he'd become lovers with by fate. Or luck. It didn't matter now. All that mattered was that it was them against the world, together.

And everyone knows how much Axel hates to lose.

.o.O.o.

A/N- This story may or may not have another chapter. If it does, it'll probably be another yaoi one. But for various reasons, including my own laziness, I'm still iffy on doing a seventh. So comment and tell me what you think. If I get enough good reviews, I'll write one more chapter, laziness be damned. : D


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